Husband Sentenced for Driving Over His Estranged Wife Twice in 'Barbaric' Murder Attempt: Police

A man in Scotland has been sentenced to more than seven years in jail after authorities say he attempted to murder his estranged wife by driving over her body twice.

William Budge, 62, was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison on Wednesday, Feb. 5, less than a month after pleading guilty to three charges — including attempted murder — at the High Court in Edinburgh, according to Judiciary of Scotland and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

Per footage shared by the BBC, Budge was filmed on Apr. 14, 2024 hitting his 63-year-old estranged wife Sandra Budge with his vehicle before making a U-turn and driving over her a second time.

The attack took place three weeks after the woman ended her 33-year marriage to Budge, according to COPFS. According to the BBC, the man — who also admitted domestic abuse-related charges — was “embarrassed” his wife had left him.

Per the news release from COPFS, the Edinburgh court heard last month that Budge parked his car outside his estranged wife’s home in Edinburgh on April. 14, 2024 and tried to speak to her when she returned home. He then tried to force her into the car and take her cell phone, before a member of the public called her. Budge’s estranged wife could be heard on the other end saying “stop Billy.”

Per COPFS, Budge then drove into the victim and lifted her onto the hood of his car before she fell to the ground and was run over by the vehicle’s wheels. He then drove over her a second time. Budge eventually drove off, according to the prosecution service, before his car was located in Dunfermline, Fife.

The following day, Glasgow police were alerted to a man in River Clyde, rescued him and identified him as Budge. His wife had suffered “life-threatening” injuries, per the service.

Budge has also “admitted to subjecting his victim to a campaign of abuse,” with his total charges including assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, danger of life and attempted murder, per the COPFS.

He was issued a non-harassment order and will be prevented from contacting the victim for 15 years.

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Lord Lake, who sentenced Budge this week, reminded him during sentencing that he plead guilty to three crimes, a “single instance of assault” in 2016 or 2017, a “course of domestic abuse” over five years and the attempted murder of his estranged wife. He noted the “callousness and cruelty” of Budge’s crimes.

“Your conduct in the attempted murder was caught on video and is quite horrifying to watch,” Lake said, per the Judiciary of Scotland. “… I have considered the victim impact statement from your wife and it is clear that she still suffers both physically and mentally and … will continue to do so for some time.”

In a statement shared with Sky News via her lawyers Digby Brown, Sandra Budge said the sentence itself “does not encourage other women to come forward with cases of domestic abuse.”

Moira Orr of the COPFS called William Budge a “violent and cruel domestic abuser whose extremely reckless actions could have had devastating consequences.”

“William Budge is a violent and cruel domestic abuser whose extremely reckless actions could have had devastating consequences.  

“Our thoughts and best wishes remain with his former partner as she continues to deal with the lasting trauma caused by this barbaric individual,” she added.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.